Fowler River Subwatershed Average Water Quality (2017)
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NEWFOUND LAKE Dissolved 2017 SAMPLING HIGHLIGHTS Blue = Excellent Turbidity Oxygen (TUR) Fowler River (DO) Yellow = Fair 0.8 NTU 13.5 mg/L Subwatershed Red = Poor Total Specific Phosphorus Conductivity (TP) (SPCD) Light Gray = No Data 10.2 ug/L 28.2 uS/cm Figure 1. Fowler River Subwatershed Average Water Quality (2017) Table 1. 2017 Fowler River Subwatershed Seasonal Average Water Quality Measurements. Fowler River Fowler River Parameter Assessment Criteria Subwatershed Subwatershed Average (range) Classification 11 – 50 51 – 100 > 101 Turbidity * < 0 - 5.0 6 – 10 0.8 NTU Moderate Moderate – High Desirable (NTU) Desirable Low Impact (range: 0.0 – 1.7) impact high impact impact < 5.5 5.5 – 6.5 6.5 – 8.5 Suboptimal for pH suboptimal for sufficient for optimal range for fish 5.4 standard units successful fish (standard successful fish growth successful fish growth growth and (range: 4.8 – 7.0) growth and units) and reproduction and reproduction reproduction reproduction Typically sufficient Dissolved < 5 > 5 13.5 mg/L for successful brook Oxygen Suboptimal for successful brook Typically sufficient for successful (range: 7.4 – 71.8) trout growth and (mg/L) trout growth and survival brook trout growth and survival survival Specific * 201 – 500 0 – 100 101 – 200 > 501 28.2 uS/cm Conductivity Moderate Normal Normal Low Impact High Impact (range: 10.3 – 64.3) (uS/cm) Impact Total * 26.0 – 50.0 < 10 ug/L 11 - 25 > 51 10.2 ug/L Phosphorus More than Average Ideal Average Excessive (range: 4.3 – 55.1) (ug/L) desirable * Water quality assessment criteria are provided by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for general guidance only. Natural variations among rivers and streams will occur and should be considered when interpreting the water quality data. Table 2. 2017 Fowler River Subwatershed Seasonal Average Water Quality Inter- comparison among Sampling Stations. Site ID * Average Average Average Total Average Average Turbidity Specific Phosphorus Dissolved pH Conductivity (ug/L) Oxgyen (NTU) (uS/cm) (mg/L) (standard units) FR-H20 1.0 41.7 13.0 12.9 5.4 FR-H21 0.8 38.9 16.3 11.6 5.4 FR-H22 0.4 28.7 5.6 14.5 5.5 FR-U05 0.9 28.2 7.8 14.3 5.5 FR-U10 0.8 21.9 7.1 31.0 5.5 FR-U20 0.8 19.3 7.2 11.0 5.1 FR-U25 0.8 15.4 7.7 9.9 5.2 FR-U30 1.1 40.4 10.7 10.2 5.7 FR-U40 1.1 20.4 22.3 10.1 5.5 FR-U50 0.6 14.3 8.0 10.3 5.3 FR-U60 1.0 41.3 6.3 12.1 5.8 * Refer to Figure 4 for a map of the sampling locations. Fowler River Subwatershed Highlights The Fowler River subwatershed is the largest river drainage network that feeds into Newfound Lake. The 22,713-acre Fowler River subwatershed is monitored with 11 active sampling locations that are positioned at various points along the Fowler River and its feeder streams. Sampling locations were selected to characterize the overall water quality and to screen for potential problem areas within the Fowler River subwatershed. The 2017 Fowler River water quality measurements generally indicate high water quality among the sampling sites. However, variations in average specific conductivity concentrations (a surrogate for salt runoff) are visible (Figure 2). Two upstream sampling locations, FR-U30 and FR-U60, were characterized by higher specific conductivity measurements relative to the more downstream sampling locations. The pattern of lower 2017 specific conductivity measurements, relative to the 2010-2016 measurements, was common among the majority of the Fowler River sampling locations (Figure 2). The 2017 average turbidity (suspended soil and other particles) levels were low while the average total phosphorus (nutrient) concentrations were low to moderate in the Fowler River subwatershed (Figure 3). Brook trout, an indicator of high quality water, have frequently been observed during field sampling visits to the Fowler River and the affiliated feeder streams. Dissolved oxygen concentrations measured in the Fowler River tributaries generally remained within the range considered sufficient to support the successful brook trout growth and reproduction. Table 3. Comparison of Seasonal Average Water Quality by Subwatershed (2017) Subwatershed Average * Average * Average * Average * Average * Turbidity Specific Total Dissolved pH Conductivity Phosphorus Oxygen (Standard (NTU) (uS/cm) (ug/L) (mg/L) Units) Black Brook 1.7 167.8 15.3 9.2 6.0 Cockermouth River 0.3 39.4 5.2 12.8 5.9 Dick Brown Brook 6.8 37.6 19.5 10.7 6.0 Fowler River 0.8 28.2 10.2 13.5 5.4 Georges Brook 1.1 31.2 8.0 12.4 5.6 Hemlock Brook 1.1 42.4 7.3 11.0 6.1 Whittemore Brook 0.1 31.1 7.5 9.3 5.9 Tilton Brook 2.2 131.6 7.1 10.0 6.2 * The displayed water quality results are average values for all sampling locations within the respective subwatersheds. Recommendations for Property Owners: Implement Best Management Practices within the Newfound Lake watershed to minimize the adverse impacts of polluted runoff and erosion into the lake. Refer to “Landscaping at the Water’s Edge: An Ecological Approach” and “New Hampshire Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management: Do-It-Yourself Stormwater Solutions for Your Home” for more information on how to reduce nutrient loading caused by overland run-off. http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource004159_Rep5940.pdf http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/publications/wd/documents/wd-11-11.pdf .